B-boy Kim Hong-yul heads to Paris Olympics

Kim Hong-yul, better known by his stage name Hong 10, has qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in the sport of breaking, or breakdancing.

Kim Hong-yul's path to Paris was not an easy one. He earned a commendable 41 ranking points for his third-place finish in the fiercely competitive B-boy contest at the two-part 2024 Olympic Qualifier Series, which concluded in Budapest, Hungary, on Sunday. This was in addition to the 38 points he secured for his fourth-place finish at the first leg of the qualifier series in Shanghai, China, in May, bringing his total to an impressive 79 points. Kim's ticket to Paris was sealed with a second-place finish, following the outstanding performance of Lee-Lou Demierre, a 24-year-old from the Netherlands, who dominated both the first and second series with a perfect score of 100 points.

The breaking contest was a fierce battle, with 10 tickets up for grabs in both the B-boy and B-girl categories. Kim Heon-woo, stage name Wing, 37, who competed in the B-boy category alongside Kim Hong-yul, finished in 14th place, and Park In-soo, stage name Kill, 32, finished in 30th place. Jeon Ji-ye, stage name Freshbella, 25, who competed in the B-girl category, missed out on a spot by a hair, finishing in 11th place. Kwon Sung-hee, stage name Starry, 28, also missed out on a ticket to Paris after finishing 19th.

Breaking pits two athletes against each other in a one-on-one dance-off to a beat, with the winner judged on creativity, originality, technique, and performance. The Paris Olympic Games will mark the sport's official Olympic debut.


Bae-Jung Kim wanted@donga.com